


Reputable Wax

by AnthemGlass



Series: Eternal Dissonance [2]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Prostitution, It's darkest before the dawn, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-15
Updated: 2014-12-15
Packaged: 2018-03-01 14:09:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2775875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnthemGlass/pseuds/AnthemGlass
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Captain Lance of the SCPD is arrested for murdering a young SCPD officer, Oliver and his team join the case to solve the mystery of how one man can be in two places at once.  Meanwhile Oliver's ever perky prostitute Barry is trying to jump in and help despite Oliver's reluctance.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reputable Wax

**Author's Note:**

> Follows 'Hymn to a Green Hour' so you should probably go read that if you haven't. I was going to write a "previously on Arrow" sort of thing, but I didn't really know where to begin. Haha.
> 
> Thank you everyone for your kind and supportive comments. I really enjoy writing these stories and I'm glad that someone enjoys reading them! 
> 
> One note, I got really inconsistent about where Oliver lives in the first one. So let's get handwavy for a second and say that he moved into a REALLY nice town home (alone) near the street corner where Barry works. Come on guys I'm tired and I think I was really confused with that first installment.
> 
> This is a sequel (part 2 of 4) so things are gonna get a little rough.... As Samuel L. Jackson says in Jurassic Park "hold on to your butts."

**Reputable Wax**

 

“Captain Lance!  I didn’t know you were coming back in tonight,” SCPD officer Billy Tell snapped to attention like soldier.  “Do you… need something?”

Quentin Lance stared silently at Officer Tell.  His unflinching gaze made Officer Tell wriggle slightly in discomfort.

“Sir?” Officer Tell tried again.

Captain Lance looked up at the security camera above the officer. Then in a flash he pulled his sidearm and fired to shots into the forehead of Officer Tell. The young SCPD officer fell silently to the ground.

Lance stood over the body and smirked.

*~*~*

“Hey you,” Barry smirked as Oliver ambled up the dark street still teeming with people, both drunk and sober.

“You again,” Oliver returned a small smile.  They hadn’t spoken much since the kiss.  It seemed they were both content to never talk about it. Oliver had only check in once before to say hi.

“No heroics tonight?”  Barry asked quirking an eyebrow.

Oliver shook his head. 

“Hey Grant,” another voice said from behind Oliver.  At first Oliver didn’t realize the voice was speaking to Barry, until he remembered that Grant was Barry’s hooker pseudonym. Oliver ducked out of the way, careful to keep his face hidden.  He didn’t need news breaking that Oliver Queen had been picking up a prostitute. “Are you busy?”

“Hey,” Barry laid on a thick, flirtatious tone.  “I don’t think so.”  Barry looked to Oliver but Oliver couldn’t respond.  The anger of seeing someone else pick Barry up was enough to make him do something stupid.

“Great, I thought we could go to the usual spot,” the john said.

“Sounds great,” Barry’s fake smile was radiant.  “Catch you later.”

*~*~*

“What’s wrong with you?”  Felicity asked. She was a little more dressed up than usual but Oliver didn’t feel like asking why.

He just grunted as he took inventory of his supplies.  He was preparing for an evening patrol and he wanted it to be a good one.  That would help with the frustration.

“Okay,” Felicity muttered under her breath.  “It’s going to be one of _those_ nights.”

“Look Felicity,” Oliver started.  He did feel bad when he was a jerk, but sometimes he just couldn’t help it.

She grabbed the lapel of his jacket.  “Hey,” she smiled.  “Don’t worry about it. If you need someone to talk to, I’m here for you.”

“What if I need someone to hit?”  Oliver joked.

Felicity’s computer pinged an alarm she’d set to find things for Oliver to do on patrol.  “Looks like I can help there too.”

“Good,” Oliver grunted.

“Go get ‘em Ollie,” she pushed him lightly and fell into her chair at the computer. “Beat one up for me!”

*~*~*

“Hey you,” Barry said as Oliver slowed his motorcycle.  He’d hoped to miss Barry but it seemed Barry had finished with his client.  The thought made Oliver both queasy and angry.

“What Barry?”  Oliver rolled his eyes.

“You always sound so… exasperated when I see you,” Barry’s smile stayed strong, almost as if he was completely oblivious. 

“I wonder why,” Oliver quipped. 

“Hey, I’m tons of fun!  Just ask… well I don’t know his name but…” Barry started.

“I’m not going to ask him.  I don’t want to know.  I have to go Barry, goodbye,” Oliver said quickly before revving his bike and speeding away.

Barry’s street corner was not far from Oliver’s new residence. It seemed even the rich and powerful tended to turn to people like Barry for… whatever.  Oliver shut the bike off at the front step of his enormous town home.  He pulled his helmet off and leaned on it as it rested on the handlebars of his bike. What was happening to him? Why did Barry have this effect on him?

*~*~*

“Oliver!”

“Laurel?” Oliver shot up from his bed. The clock beside him read 3AM.

“Oliver you have to help him!”  Laurel sounded distraught on the other line.  He could hear wetness in her voice and her throat closed around many of her words. “They’re arresting my dad!”

“Slow down, Laurel,” Oliver said attempting as calm as a voice as possible while he threw on a pair of jeans and wrapped himself in his black coat. “Tell me what happened.”

“They arrested my father for killing an SCPD officer,” Laurel finally said as she calmed down.

“Well that’s ridiculous.  Where are you?” Oliver said hoping that would help calm her down. “I’m on my way.”

*~*~*

Laurel ran up to Oliver and threw her arms around him.  He cheeks were wet with tears and she seemed to be a mess.

“I heard it from one of the other district attorneys.  They are arresting him for the murder.”

“What did he have to say about it?”  Oliver asked.

“He didn’t do it,” Laurel said immediately.  “He said he didn’t do it!”

“Of course he didn’t do it, why are they arresting him?”  Oliver felt like the line of questioning was beginning to circle and not get anywhere.

“There’s…” Laurel started.  “There’s video of it.”

Oliver let go of her and took a single step back.  “There’s video of your father killing the police officer?”

Laurel looked like a spooked cat.  Oliver would need to proceed carefully.

“I haven’t seen it, but yes apparently there is video,” Laurel said, hiccupping.

Oliver looked around and wrapped one arm around Laurel again. With the other arm he pulled out his phone and pressed Felicity’s speed dial.

“Sorry to wake you,” Oliver started.

“No it’s fine.  Is there an emergency?” Felicity asked, immediately snapping to attention.

Oliver explained the situation.  Felicity had the same trepidation Oliver had felt until she heard that there was video.

“Let me see if I can hack into the SCPD server and grab a copy of this so called video.  I’ll send it to your phone once I’ve got it.”

“Thank you Felicity,” Oliver sighed.

“Of course boss,” Felicity replied.  “You save our captain!”

Not five minutes later Oliver’s phone pinged with the video from Felicity. Oliver loaded the video with Laurel peering over his shoulder.

In the video a young officer snapped to attention when Quentin Lance walked up to him.  The officer said something then looked at Lance strangely.  Lance looked straight at the camera for a moment.  Then for seemingly no reason, Lance pulled his gun and shot the young man. Lance stayed standing there for a moment, a sick smirk spreading on his face.

Laurel covered her mouth with her hand and gasped.  It sounded like at any moment she was going to retch. Staring at the screen still paused with her father’s sinister smirk she whispered, “Oh my god.”

*~*~*

The interrogation room was dark and dank.  Quentin had been in it many times before, but as a suspect it carried a whole new meaning, a completely different vibe.  He was accused of being a cop killer and the thought made him sick. His hands rattled as he shifted them on the metal table.  The cuffs barely stretched from their clasp.

The door opened quietly and a familiar figure snuck in through the shadows.

“Quentin Lance,” the dark, gruff voice said.

“Thank god it’s you,” Quentin said quickly to the Arrow.  “I don’t know what’s going on.”

“You killed an SCPD officer,” the Arrow responded.

“Billy? I would never kill Billy. Why would I do that? This is crazy,” Quentin continued. He was doing everything in his power not to panic.  The Arrow’s accusations weren’t helping.

“There’s video.  Your face is clear,” the Arrow replied.  Quentin felt his stomach sink.

“There’s video?  Of me?” Quentin asked. “How is that possible?”

“What were you doing at 11PM tonight?”  The Arrow asked.  It seemed that he still had some faith in Quentin.  Lance could tell that the Arrow still didn’t completely believe he did it.

“I was asleep,” Quentin sighed.  “It’s the worst alibi.  No one saw me. No one can vouch. I have an early doctors appointment tomorrow before work, had to fast before it so I just went to sleep instead of feeling hungry all night.”

The Arrow sighed.  Through the voice modulator even his sighs sounded sinister.  “I’ll do some more digging.  I may be back for more questions.”  The Arrow didn’t wait for Quentin to answer.  He just ducked out of the room and silently ran.

Only moments later a detective came in.  It was as if the Arrow could tell someone was coming.

Quentin sighed.  “This is going to be a tough one.”

*~*~*

“How is that possible?”  Diggle asked after briefing the team on the situation.

“I don’t know Dig, we need to look at the video more,” Oliver replied.

“I’m working on it,” Felicity said.  “I’ve been analyzing the video but still nothing.”

“I know no one wants to say it,” Roy piped in for the first time. “But what if he actually did it?”

Oliver took a deep breath and pointed a finger at Roy.  “We’re not going down that road yet.  We are going to analyze the information we have and figure out what is happening.”

“What about a tox screen?”  Diggle asked. “Could he have been drugged?”

“Or hypnotized?”  Felicity added.

“All possibilities,” Oliver replied.  “That’s what we need to find out.”

*~*~*

“What can you tell me about Billy Tell?”  Oliver asked quietly.  It was the following morning and he needed to get information from Laurel, but her emotional wellbeing was also a concern.

“Nothing really,” she answered.  Her eyes were red from crying.  “He was pretty new to the force.  Excited to be a cop.” She swirled the coffee in her mug.

“Is there a reason why your father would want to kill him?”

Laurel looked up, shocked by the question.  “No!  Are you actually considering that?”

Oliver held up his hands.  “We have to look at every option.  Of course I don’t think your father did it.”

“Good,” she quieted a bit.  “He didn’t.”

Oliver’s phone chirped, it was Diggle.  “Yeah?”

“Tox screens are back.  All negative. There wasn’t anything in his system,” Diggle sighed.

“Okay, thanks Dig,” Oliver said as he pocketed his phone. “Negative on the tox screens we ran on your dad.”

Laurel bit her lip.  “What else are you looking at?”

“I don’t want to get you too involved, Laurel.  You’re emotional and you need time to yourself.”

“No!” She started acting like she was on the verge of hysteria.  “I’m not going to be left out of this.”

“Laurel it’s for the best,” Oliver tried to calm her.

“No! I know my father better than anyone!”

“And that’s why you need to step away from it.  You’re too close,” Oliver urged.

“Get out of my apartment,” she said standing from her chair. The mug of coffee spilled over and the left over dregs leaked onto the wood table.

Oliver opened his mouth to say something but thought better and left without another word.

*~*~*

“Hey you,” Barry said.  He was waiting on Oliver’s front step.

“I can’t talk Barry,” Oliver said quickly pushing past the kid.

“On a case?”  He asked.

Oliver whirled around and gave Barry a death glare.

Barry’s smile faded.  “Is this about Quentin Lance?”

“What are you, a reporter?”  Oliver quipped as he began unlocking his door.

“I just might have a lead for you,” Barry smirked.  “I’m kind of awesome that way.”

Oliver froze.  He opened his door but stayed on the front step, weighing his options.  “Okay come in.”

Barry leapt up and followed Oliver inside.

“What’s your lead?”  Oliver asked.

“So I take it the fearless captain of the SCPD is denying that he did it?”

“Yes,” Oliver replied curtly.

“But there’s some sort of proof that it was him.  Video I bet?”

Oliver nodded.

“Same thing happened to a friend of mine,” Barry started.

“Barry,” Oliver sighed.  “Don’t use me to help get your friends out of jail.”

“I’m not, I promise,” Barry shook his head.  “It’s just there’s video of this guy breaking into a jewelry store and making out with a bunch of expensive things.  Clear video where you can see his face.  But he didn’t do it.”

“How do you know?”  Oliver asked.

“He was with me when it happened,” Barry replied.

Oliver turned his head and stared at the kid.

“Yeah, at the exact time stamp on the video feed, Cisco was with me. But he didn’t name me as an alibi…”

“Because you guys were hooking.”

“We have a code,” Barry smiled with pride.

“Quite the code,” Oliver said.  “You won’t even break it to help your friend out.”

“That’s why I’ve got you,” Barry replied.

“Like I said, I’m not here to break your friends out of jail,” Oliver repeated.

“Yeah, but if this helps with the Quentin case, I think you owe Cisco and I that.”

“And you’re sure this is the whole truth?”

Barry nodded.  “Cross my heart!”

*~*~*

“New plan of attack!”  Oliver called out as he strode into the basement of the club.  He apparently startled Felicity, who bobbled her salad, only to be caught by the ever-vigilant Roy.

“And that is?”  Roy asked handing the salad back.

“Cisco Ramon,” Oliver said.  “Roy and Diggle, you two need to check up on this guy.  He’s a streetwalker who was arrested two nights ago for robbing a jewelry store.”

“What does this have to do with our case?”  Diggle asked.

“I have it on good authority that his alibi checks out.  So despite video evidence, he didn’t do it,” Oliver said.

“What ‘good authority’ do you have on a streetwalker?”  Roy asked.

“No more questions,” Oliver was glad he could just put his foot down, but he knew his team was smart; they were already clued in now.

“Felicity, you and I will continue with Captain Lance.”

“Sounds good.”

*~*~*

“What if it’s a guy wearing a mask?”  Roy asked, seemingly annoyed at hanging out waiting for Diggle to return from recon on Cisco.

“That’d have to be some mask,” Felicity replied, distractedly working on her computer.

“Yeah, I guess so,” Roy said standing from the chair.  He stood in front of the manikin that held Oliver’s uniform before looking over at his own.  He looked back at Oliver’s then his own again.  In his head he could feel something.  Something was nagging at him.  Something important.

“Felicity,” he said quietly.  “I have an idea.”

Roy whirled Felicity away from her computer so he could have her full attention. She whined but conceded to listen to his thought.

“What’s the first thing you notice when you see Captain Lance?”

“Chest hair,” she said matter-of-factly.

Roy froze for a moment and stuttered.  “N-no. Not that.  What’s the second thing you notice?”

“His voice?”  She tried. She clearly didn’t get where Roy was coming from.

“He’s tall!”  Roy gave up on the guessing game.  “He’s really tall! Like 6’4, right?”

“I think he’s about 6’3 and on half but yeah,” Felicity nodded.

“Well this Cisco Ramon guy is like 5’9 maybe 5’10 tops.”

“So?”

“If it is a guy wearing a mask, we will be able to tell…”

“From their height!”  Felicity finished. She pushed her rolling chair back to the computer and began pouring through the evidence again. “If I use this software we should be able to get a pretty accurate height from these videos.”

Her fingers flew over the keyboard as she checked the data and ran the programs.

“Oh my god” Felicity gasped.

“Am I right?”

“Yes,” Felicity smiled.  “The Lance in the video is only about 6’1.  Three inches shorter than Captain Lance.  And the Cisco in the video is also 6’1.  But Cisco Ramon is only 5’9.  Unbelievable.”

Roy smirked he was proud of himself.  “Must be some mask.”

*~*~*

Night had fallen a few hours before and Oliver loved the cover of darkness. He hadn’t spoken to the rest of the team yet about what they’d found.  Instead he decided to let Felicity to do her tech wizardry while he went searching for answers physically, in the form of another interrogation of his old pal Griever. 

Oliver had found an unwilling ally in Griever and he was going to milk the man for all the information he was worth.  Oliver had had success with the miscreant when he’d gone looking for answers about Anton Allegro.  Admittedly his information wasn’t 100% correct, but at least it was a starting point.

Plus with news that Cisco had stolen jewelry, he thought that Griever might have acted as a middleman to get the stolen goods into the black market like Pasha had done.

Sure enough it seemed Oliver didn’t have far to go.  A man hoisting a bag of seemingly heavy goods was walking up the grungy stairs to the top of the housing project that Griever operated out of. Oliver held back to survey the scene and see what the incoming man was up to. 

Griever greeted the man.  He seemed shocked but waved him in after the man flashed the contents of the bag. Oliver snuck in and through the small, dingy apartment he’d already traversed once.  In the office Oliver found Griever dealing with the mystery man, the man’s back to him. 

“Oh god!”  Griever shook with fear. Without a second glance at his seller Griever bolted through a door in the rear of the room.  Oliver could have easily chased down the creep, but he was more interested in the seller this evening.

The man turned around and Oliver dropped his bow and arrow.

He was staring at himself.

*~*~*

“How’s Cisco?”  Caitlin asked, soft and sweet.

Barry sighed.  “He’s okay. He’s keeping his head up.” Barry had just returned from visiting his friend in jail.  He’d told him to stay positive.  That he was on the case.

“Good,” Wells said as he wheeled himself around the corner of the one-bedroom apartment.  Barry and cisco shared a small futon in the living room while Caitlin and Wells each had their own twin bed in the bedroom.  “Any luck with your… connection?”

“He’s on it,” Barry nodded.  He didn’t add the ‘I think’ that lingered in the back of his head.  Oliver was difficult to read, and even more so in Vigilante mode.

“Caitlin, South Side should be good work tonight.  You’ve been doing well down there,” Wells changed the subject abruptly.  Leave it to him to constantly think about work.  “And Barry how is your spot working?  Still getting some regulars?”

Barry nodded.  “Yup.” It was a lie though. He’d seen a drop in his regulars from his spot outside of Oliver’s town home.  But if he told Wells, the man would want him to move on. Barry didn’t think he could handle moving on.  Barry instead had been padding his money with the little savings he’d managed from the past few years. It was a strategy that would not hold for much longer.

“Good,” Wells nodded.  “It’s good to keep Cisco in our hearts, but we need to keep our minds in the game as well.”

Caitlin and Barry nodded morosely.

*~*~*

“I don’t believe it,” the Fake Oliver gasped.  “It’s really you!  You’re the Arrow!”

“Yes I am!  Why do you look like Oliver Queen?” Oliver asked in his gruff voice.

“I am Oliver Queen,” the Fake replied.  “Listen to me.  Look at me.”

“You’re lying!”  Oliver grunted.

“And how would you know that?  Are you two friends?”  The Fake accused.

Oliver realized that he didn’t have an answer as to why the Arrow would know that he wasn’t the real Oliver.  It seemed his worries were confirmed.

“You see Arrow,” the Fake said.  It was chilling to watch his own body and listen to his own voice, void of any mannerisms of his own.  “I was a maxillofacial surgeon.  Do you know what that is?”

“You specialize in faces,” Oliver had picked up his bow and re-aimed his arrow. Though it seemed the Fake was unfazed.

“Very good,” the Fake replied, as if speaking to a child. “You see I know faces. I can read faces. Our bones, our scars, our skin… it all tells a story.  Do you know what your face is telling me right now?”

“What?” Oliver grunted.

“Well it’s telling me that the chin and cheek bones I have on right now, those of one Mr. Oliver Queen, are identical to the ones on you, Starling City’s masked Vigilante… the Arrow!”

Oliver pulled back the bow.

“You see I’m using a piece of technology called, WAXFace. Or the Wrapped Audio/Visual External Facial hood,” the Fake said pressing his finger into his cheek. To Oliver looked exactly like human skin.  “Shoot me if you like,” the Fake continued.  “Just be ready for the man behind you.”

Oliver turned to glance behind him only to find nothing. When he turned back the Fake had lunged at him, knocking him to the ground.  The man, whoever he was, was strong and built.  Maybe even more so than Oliver himself.  The Fake got two good punches on Oliver’s face before rolling off and laying a hard kick into his side.

“Pathetic, I can’t believe you fell for a children’s trick,” the Fake spat before pulling his gun out.  “Good night Arrow.”

Just as the Fake began to pull the trigger, Oliver laid a kick on his leg with his last ounce of strength.  The bullet fired and pierced his arm.  The Fake ran from the scene once he realized that Oliver was not down and out.

“You’ll be scared of your own face!”  The Fake cackled as he disappeared into the housing project. Oliver reached out and found that his arrow and quiver were missing. 

*~*~*

Oliver’s home was closer than the club, so he decided to patch himself up there before rendezvousing with the team.  The blood loss was making him a little woozy, despite his makeshift tourniquet he’d made back at the housing project.  He’d had to change out of his Arrow uniform so he could drive back without suspicion.

“Hey you,” Barry said as Oliver slowed his bike down in front of his house.

“What are you doing here, Barry?”  Oliver asked, annoyed.

“Always so happy to see me,” Barry quipped.  Barry’s smile faded as glanced down at Oliver’s drenched sleeve. “You’re bleeding!”

“It’s not that bad,” Oliver tried, but the dizziness seemed to be worsening. Being the Vigilante had opened his mind to many things.  Included in that list of things was unfortunately bullet holes and blood loss. Standing with Barry in front of his home, Oliver was beginning to suspect that this was no ordinary bullet hole.

*~*~*

“Oliver! Stay with me!” Barry shouted. Oliver was helping less and less as Barry tried his hardest to carry the bigger man into his house. Luckily the dining room table was close to the entrance.  “One more push!” He shouted as he, with a little help from Oliver himself, managed to hoist Oliver onto the table.

Barry ripped open the sleeve and checked the bullet wound. Oliver was right, the wound was not too bad, it seemed to be bleeding a bit more than normal, but it really just grazed him. 

“It was laced with something,” Barry said aloud.  He began to take account of every symptom Oliver had shown in the last few minutes.  In his head he mentally crossed through a multitude of answers as he narrowed his choices to figure out what was wrong with Oliver.

Oliver began gasping for air.  That was it. Barry knew it was a form of Botulinum Toxin.  He sprinted into Oliver’s kitchen and found the sharpest knife. 

“This is going to hurt.”

*~*~*

Oliver blinked awake.  Normally after a particularly rough night of patrolling, one in which Oliver ends up unconscious, he awakens in the basement of Verdant. Instead he was in his… dining room?

He hoisted himself up as best he could.  He felt exhausted and extremely sick. 

“Hey you,” Barry said calmly from his side.  “Whoa buddy, don’t get up too fast.”

“What happened?”  Oliver groaned.

“The bullet that hit you was laced with Botulinum Toxin,” Barry explained. Oliver lightly prodded at the wound and winced immediately after touching it.  “I had to cut it out.”

“Maxillofacial,” Oliver grunted as if he hadn’t heard a word Barry said.

“Maxillofacial? A maxillofacial surgeon did this to you?”  Barry asked. He actually seemed amused by the prospect.  “Even if he wasn’t a cosmetic surgeon, I’m sure he had access to the stuff.”

“WAXFace,” Oliver’s head was swimming.  He felt like he was going to topple off the table.

“You lost me.”

“Call Felicity…” And Oliver fell back asleep, luckily with Barry helping him lay back down on the table.

*~*~*

“Hi,” Barry said as he opened the door for a very pretty blonde girl. He’d called the number attached to the name ‘Felicity’ in Oliver’s phone.  “I’m Barry.”

“Hi Barry, Felicity,” the blonde girl replied.  “And you’re here because…?”

“I’m Oliver’s… nurse?”  Barry had basically just asked another question instead of answering hers.

“I see,” Felicity nodded.  She clearly did not trust him.  “And Oliver asked me to come over because?”

Barry just motioned for her to follow.  He led her into the dining room where Oliver was still passed. Out.

“Oh my god!”  She shouted as she ran up to his side.

“He’s just sleeping,” Barry said.  “He was poisoned by a bullet that grazed his arm.  I managed to get the poison out, but all I had was kitchen tools so it was a little… messy.”

“So you really are a nurse?”  Felicity asked, dumbfounded.

Barry cringed. “Uh… yeah… sure.” Lies.  They both knew it.  But Felicity seemed to be more worried about Oliver and less worried about Barry at the moment.

“Oh he said some things.  Before he asked me to call you,” Barry said.  “He said that the guy who did this to him was a maxillofacial surgeon. At least I think that’s what he was saying.  And he said the word, WAXFace.”

“WAXFace?” Felicity clarified.

“Yes,” Barry nodded resolutely.

“Okay, I need to run that information.  Will he be okay?”  Felicity asked.

“Yeah, he just needs some rest,” Barry smiled.  “Go, I’ll keep an eye on him.”

*~*~*

“What happened?” Oliver gasped as he launched up from lying on the bed. Diggle had visited a few hours prior and help Barry transfer the unconscious hero to his bed.

“Whoa there Arrow Man!”  Barry jumped to Oliver’s bedside and placed a hand on his uninjured soldier. “You’ve been out for a few hours. You were struck by a bullet laced with Botulinum Toxin.”

Oliver seemed slow to process the information.  Barry imagined the poor guy was confused as hell. His head probably felt fuzzy and he definitely was feeling some pain, despite the painkillers Diggle had procured for him.

“Hospital?” Oliver frowned. He was clearly having some trouble formulating his thoughts.  “Do I… need to go to the… hospital?”

“I mean yes, you probably should have gone to the hospital, but I figured you wouldn’t want the hospital asking Oliver Queen why he was struck by a poison bullet.”

“Oh,” Oliver nodded and then winced at the motion.  “Am I okay?”

Barry flashed his brightest smile.  “Yep. Good ole Doctor Barry patched you up. After a little… surgery.”

“Surgery?” Oliver’s eyes widened a bit in worry.

“I used a kitchen knife,” Barry couldn’t help but feel a little pride. Oliver’s concern was comical. Clearly poor Oliver thought the idea of Barry performing surgery was frightening.

“How?” Oliver sat up slowly with the help of Barry.  Barry’s hand was pressing his patience’s strong, muscular back.

“I have experience, wasn’t always a hooker you know?”  Barry grinned.  “I got mad skills.”

Oliver groaned.

“You love it,” Barry chuckled.  His face warmed immediately after saying it.  It brought back the memories of their kiss and their aborted night of loving making that Oliver had turned into a movie night.

“And don’t call me Arrow Man,” Oliver grunted.

“I thought you were too drugged out to comment on that,” Barry laughed.

“Never,” Oliver replied.

“I just need to check some things, you know make sure you’re not going to die,” Barry said as he peeled back the gauzed that had stained a rust color. It needed changing anyways.

“Thank you,” Oliver said.  His voice was different.  Gone was the aloof, grumbling instead replaced with gentle appreciation.  “You saved me.”

Barry’s touch was light on Oliver’s injured arm.  It all looked okay, he couldn’t help the swell of pride returning. It felt good to use his science skills again.  “You’re welcome,” Barry replied as he taped on a fresh piece of gauze.  “You saved me, remember?  I owed you one.”

*~*~*

“It’s only because of me you were in trouble in the first place,” Oliver replied. He couldn’t keep eye contact with Barry, the shame was too strong.

“Let’s not do this,” Barry said with a reassuring smile.  “We can go back and forth about it, or we can just say we’re even.”

“Okay,” Oliver nodded.

“Okay,” Barry smiled even brighter. 

Oliver leaned closer to Barry, letting his instincts cloud his judgment. It was never hard for him with women, he always felt like there was a script and he was a masterful actor. But now, with a man – no – with _Barry_ it felt different. It felt real.  Something felt stronger than ever in his chest and it terrified Oliver, but it also excited him.

Barry’s eyes went half-lidded as his head moved closer.  Their lips just began to touch, a small jolt of something passing between them.  Oliver felt a surge of hope and happiness in that single, infinitesimal moment before…

“OH MY GOD!”  Felicity actually dropped to the floor as if someone had yelled ‘duck and cover’ which was impressive considering the heels and skirt she was wearing.

Barry jumped back and landed hard in the rolling desk chair he had camped out on beside Oliver all day.

Oliver’s eyes darted around the room.  He was terrified that he’d let his guard down so much that he hadn’t heard Felicity of all people come in.  Just another check in the box marked ‘Barry is dangerous for Oliver and should be avoided.’

“Um,” Felicity exclaimed, concern thick in her voice.  Her hands were wrapped over her head like a grenade was about to explode.  “So um…. That was… unexpected. I am SO sorry.”

“No,” Oliver choked on his words.  He cleared his throat and started again.  “No it’s fine Felicity.”

“Okay,” Felicity nearly whined.  “Maybe I can just say I didn’t see anything.”

“Did you see anything?”  Oliver’s exasperation was beginning to return like only Felicity or Barry could summon.

“I plead the first,” Felicity said.

“It’s the fifth actually,” Barry piped in.

“I plead them all!” Felicity snapped.

“Why are you here, Felicity?” Oliver asked.  He hoped his forced calm would defuse the situation. He dreaded the time when Felicity would want to… _talk_. Maybe he would be dead before then. One could only hope.

“Yes,” Felicity began to stand, still shaken.  “Yeah, I umm.  Yes. I did a search on the information you gave your nurse.”

“Barry,” Barry added.

“Yeah, Barry,” Felicity darted a suspicious glance at the kid.

“What information?”  Oliver asked.

“You woke up in the middle of the night and said ‘maxillofacial’ and ‘WAXFace,’” Barry supplied.

“What did you find Felicity?”  The evening before flooded back in his memory.  His conflict with the Fake Oliver refreshed.

Felicity gave a nervous glance at Barry.  Oliver waved away her trepidation.  The kid already knew enough, didn’t seem like a little more would be a big deal.

“There are a few maxillofacial surgeons in Starling City, but one quit his position at a practice at Starling General a while ago.  A surgeon by the name of Maurice del Burgo,” Felicity started. “What’s interesting about del Burgo is that he started working for a private weapons manufacturer on a secret… well what the laughably call a secret… project.”

“Project?” Oliver asked.

“It’s called WAXFace…

“Wrapped Audio/Visual External Facial hood,” Oliver and Felicity said at the same time.

“Yeah, how did you know?”  Felicity asked.

“He said it last night,” Oliver recalled.

“Like I said, this manufacturer is not great at keeping secrets. They’ve been shopping WAXFace to a bunch of vendors, that’s how I caught wind of it.  I was able to hack their system and get a look for myself. Apparently no one is biting yet. I guess that’s why this guy has resorted to jewelry store robbery.”

“This is so cool!”  Barry interrupted.

Oliver and Felicity both shot questioning gazes.

“I mean I knew that the Arrow Man…”

“Don’t!” Oliver corrected.

“…Had a team, but I never thought I’d get to see you guys in action.” Barry finished, not reacting to Oliver’s admonishment.

“Anyways,” Oliver groaned through gritted teeth.  “Where can I find him?”

“del Burgo?”  Felicity nearly scolded. “You won’t!  Oliver you were just _poisoned_ , you need to rest!”

“Felicity,” Oliver sighed.  “I need to end this.”

“We!” Felicity nearly shouted.  “We need to.  When you can’t someone has to pick up the slack.  That’s why you have a team.”

“Roy?” Oliver gasped. “You sent Roy out on his own.”

“I didn’t send anybody.  Roy and Diggle went on their own accord.”

“So there’s even more of you,” Barry commented in a whisper. Oliver ignored it, instead shifting his annoyance with Barry into rage aimed at del Burgo and his team for working behind his back.

Oliver winced as he turned his body and placed his bare feet on the hardwood floor.  It was then that he realized he was in nothing but boxers.  He looked up at Barry with a questioning eyebrow raised.

“You couldn’t stay in your bloody clothes, and instead of redress you I just thought you would be more comfortable in your underwear. Why?  Are you a PJs guy?”  Barry rambled.

“Shouldn’t you know?”  Felicity quipped.

Oliver made an annoyed sound and held up a silencing finger aimed at both of them. “I’m going out!”

*~*~*

“Roy.”

Roy turned in a flash of dark red and aimed his knocked arrow at the voice.

“Oliver?” Roy whispered. “Shouldn’t you be in bed, recovering?”

“Yeah,” Oliver winced as he painfully ambled his way up to Roy’s side. “I should.  But we need to end this.”

Roy was concerned.  He knew that Oliver had a penchant for pushing himself too hard; the pole in the basement of Verdant was one great example.  He also knew that he and Diggle would be infinitely better with Oliver by their side.

“Maurice del Burgo,” Roy whispered.  He wanted to fill Oliver in on the plan.  “He apparently operates out of this complex.  Diggle is taking the rear entrance.  We’re linked with earpieces.  You don’t have one?”

“I came from my home, didn’t have time,” Oliver winced as he grabbed his arm. He must have had a flare of pain. From what Roy had heard Oliver was in for a good amount of pain.

“Rear is clear,” Diggle chimed in Roy’s ear.  Roy repeated the news to Oliver as they pressed forward.

Roy and Oliver entered a large, dank room where Diggle was already standing, his sidearm held up at eye level.

“Oliver?” Diggle sounded more annoyed than surprised.

“I’m fine,” Oliver winced.

Movement in the hallway alerted the three to someone approached from the same place that Oliver and Roy had just come from.  All three aimed their weapons at the incoming body.

“Oh shit,” Roy muttered.  It was Oliver… again.

“Whoa!” The new Oliver shouted, his arrow was already aimed up. 

“He’s an imposter!”  The old Oliver shouted and fired an arrow at the new one.

The new one fired back and dodged the incoming arrow in the same movement. His arrow missed the old and the two met in a grappling match.  The old swung his bow and struck the new, but the new countered with a swiping kick that ended up bringing them both down.

The two Olivers wrestled on the ground, both screaming in agony as their respective arms hit the floor. 

“Hold it right there!”  Diggle shouted aiming his gun.  “We’ll take you both down. Just freeze!”

The Olivers stopped wrestling.  They pulled back and lay on their backs panting. 

“They’re the same height,” Roy groaned.

“Show me your arms, slowly,” Diggle ordered.  Both the old and new reached for their left arm and lifted the leather sleeves to show wounds.

“His is a fake!”  The new Oliver shouted. At least Roy thought it was the new Oliver.  The wrestling had made it difficult to tell.  He felt panic seeping in, this was not something he was used to.

“Shut up!”  Diggle commanded. “I do the talking here.”

“Hey,” Roy interrupted.  “When would you ever shoot me?” 

The two Olivers stared back.  The old one, Roy was pretty sure it was the one that had been with him softened. “I would never shoot you, Roy.”

The new Oliver smirked.  “I already did.”

Diggle and Roy immediately turned their weapons on the old Oliver. “Freeze Maurice del Burgo!”

“Why? Am I under arrest? You can’t prove that I robbed the jewelry store or that I killed that pathetic cop.  You don’t even have my WAXFace as evidence,” del Burgo smeared. “You aren’t cops. I must say though. I’m impressed. Even with my disguise you all discovered my name.”

“But I’m a DA,” Laurel said from the doorway.  “And I just recorded your confession.”

“You may have my confession,” del Burgo grinned.  “But you’ll never have me.”  His thumb activated a smoke bomb that filled the room in seconds with opaque smoke. 

When the cloud dissipated del Burgo was no where to be found.

“Is that enough?” Roy asked.

“Should be,” Laurel nodded.

“You brought Laurel?”  Diggle accused the new Oliver… the _real_ Oliver.

“In my last run-in with this guy I noticed he had a knack for saying way too much,” Oliver grinned.  “I figured it would be good to get a recording.  I wasn’t wrong.”

*~*~*

“Captain Lance,” the Arrow grunted on top of the cold, concrete building. He had summoned for the captain after hearing of his release.

“I guess I should be thanking you… again,” Quentin said as he pulled his jacket in a little tighter.  “You saved my ass again.”

“I will always be there to help,” the Arrow replied.  His creepy, deep voice was a welcomed relief now that Quentin was free.  “Del Burgo got away.”

“It happens,” Quentin replied.  “We’ll keep an eye out for him.”

“Beware. He could be anybody,” the Arrow warned.

Quentin squinted.  The Arrow was right. They weren’t safe.

“What made me come around to seeing you as a good guy?” Quentin asked. It was best to get into good habits.

The Arrow smirked.  Even in the cover of dark Quentin could read that the vigilante was impressed with his suspicion. “When I warned you of the Glades.”

“Now you ask one,” Quentin said.

“What did you once use to lure me as bait?”  The Arrow asked.

“My daughter, Laurel,” Quentin sighed.  “Are you ever going to let me live that down?”

“Absolutely not.”

“It’s you,” Quentin quipped. 

“Stay safe Captain,” the Arrow said before firing an arrow and taking off from the rooftop on a metal chord.  Quentin watched the Arrow run on the neighboring rooftop before he disappeared into the dark cover of night.

*~*~*

“Hey you.”

Just the voice Oliver was looking for.  He turned around and saw Barry walking up to him.  “Hey Barry,” Oliver smiled.  “I’m glad you’re taller than del Burgo.  So I know it’s you.”

“How can I know it’s you?”  Barry asked.

Oliver gave him the most unamused face he could muster.

“Yeah, it’s you,” Barry grinned.  “Thank you Oliver.  Cisco is happy to be back to work.  Well… maybe not happy, but he’s glad he’s not in prison.”

“I’m glad.  I just wanted to come and thank _you_ again for what you did,” Oliver’s tone of voice shifted again.  Barry liked hearing the sincerity in Oliver’s voice.

“Happy to do it,” Barry smiled bright.

“How did you know what to do?”  Oliver sounded impressed.

“Like I said, I wasn’t always a hooker,” Barry looked a little distant at that. But he shook it off quickly. “But that’s all you’re getting out of me tonight.”

Oliver grinned a small smile.  The two were in a dark, shaded part of the street.  So Oliver took the opportunity to lean in and give Barry another kiss. It didn’t have the same effect the last did, mostly because Oliver knew this time that it would just be a peck.

When he pulled back he also pulled his hand away from Barry’s. Barry looked down at a wad of cash in his hand.  “What’s this?”

“A token of my thanks for helping me out,” Oliver smiled.  He hoped he was making up for the work Barry missed. Instead of receiving the same smile from Barry that he’d gotten used to, he saw Barry’s face fall, shoulders slump, and feet step away.

“Oh,” was all Barry said.

“I just…” Oliver started.  He was beginning to think he’d done something wrong.

“I have to go,” Barry said quietly and turned before jogging away.

Oliver sighed.  What did he do?

*~*~*

Barry stopped running at some point.  He was just tired and he felt like Oliver was chasing him, even though he knew he wasn’t. He opened his hand and looked at the crumpled bills again.  It was all just a transaction to Oliver.  Barry was used to that.  This was his job. But he’d let himself get wrapped up in the heroics of Arrow Man.  The team dynamic provided such a high that Barry hadn’t felt in a long time. He felt for that one day that he was a part of a team.  Something bigger than himself.

He also got wrapped up in Oliver’s stupid expressions.  The way his face frowned in annoyance, the way his eyebrows questioned him more than the bad cop in a good cop/bad cop situation, the way he sighed in that exasperated yet cute way.

But no.

Oliver just paid him for his time.  It was just a transaction and Barry needed to remember that.

The worst part was that Barry wanted to throw the bills.  They felt tainted.  But he couldn’t. To Oliver this money was pocket change. But to Barry this was his life. He needed this.

“Hey,” a voice said next to him.  The man looked a bit skittish but it was clear he was looking for a hooker. Barry always looked the part and he was used to the nervous ones. 

“Hey stranger,” Barry laid it on thick, even through the threat of tears. “What can I do for you? Need to relax?”

*~*~*

“Maurice del Burgo,” a voice purred.

Maurice, who was wrapped as the wealthy banker whose bank he was about to heist turned and prepared to run away.

“Wait,” the man said.  He was a large man with a dark scar down his left eye and spoke with a heavy accent. “I am Alexander Gorki and I have a proposition for you.”

“Not interested,” Maurice replied and started to walk away. He’d rob the bank another day.

Alexander grinned.  “What if I said it involved killing the Arrow?”

Maurice stopped walking and turned.  “I’m listening.”

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry. I couldn't make things all hunky dory between Barry and Oliver just yet. You have to EARN it. And if you thought the end of this one was sad. Just wait till the start of the next one. MWAHAHAHA.


End file.
